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OF THE

PURITAN S.

OR

PROTESTANT NON-CONFORMISTS,

FROM THE

DEATH OF QUEEN ELIZABETH

TO THE BEGINNING OF THE CIVIL WAR

IN THE YEAR 1642:

WITH AN ACCOUNT OF

THEIR PRINCIPLES; THEIR ATTEMPTS FOR A FURTHER REFORMATION
IN THE CHURCH; THEIR SUFFERINGS; AND THE LIVES
AND CHARACTERS OF THEIR PRINCIPAL DIVINES.

IN FIVE VOLUMES.

BY DANIEL NEAL, M. A

A NEW EDITION,

REVISED, CORRECTED, AND ENLARGED,

VINITY SCHOOL

LIBRARY.

BY JOSHUA TOULMIN, D. D.

TO WHICH ARE PREFIXED,

SOME MEMOIRS OF THE LIFE AND WRITINGS OF THE AUTHOR.

VOL. II.

But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not con-
sumed one of another. Gal. v. 15.

PUBLISHED

BY CHARLES EWER, BOSTON; AND WILLIAM B. ALLEN & 00.

NEWBURYPORT, MS.
1817.

Wm. B. Allen & Co. Printers.

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THE Editor, in revising the first volume of Mr. NEAL'S "History of the Puritans," was greatly assisted by the author's "Review of the principal facts objected to in that volume." In the volume which is

now presented to the public, such aid fails him, as it will also in the succeeding ones, since Dr. GREY'S "Examination" did not make its appearance till the declining state of Mr. NEAL'S health prevented his further vindication of his work.

The justice due to Mr. NEAL's memory and to truth, required the Editor to attempt what could have been done by the author himself with much greater advantage than at this distance of time, from the first statement of the facts, by one who cannot come at all the authorities on which Mr. NEAL spake. He has endeavored, however, to acquit himself with care and impartiality in the examination of Dr. GREY's animadversions, and is not aware that he has passed over any material strictures, extended through a volume of 400 pages.

Though Dr. GREY'S* "Examination" may be now little known or sought after, it received, at its first publication, the thanks of many divines of the first eminence; particularly of Dr. Gibson, then bishop of London, and of Dr. Sherlock, then bishop of Salisbury. The latter prelate, writing to the Doctor, said, "It is happy that Mr. Neal's 'account appeared when there was one so well versed in the history, and so able to correct the errors and prejudices. The service you 'have done must be considered as a very important one by all the 'friends of the constitution of the church of England.§

From the notes in the following pages, the reader will be able to form a judgment whether the encomium bestowed on Dr. Grey's work proceeded from a careful investigation of his remarks, and a comparison of them with Mr. Neal's history and vouchers, or from bias to a cause. In the Editor's apprehensions, the value of Mr. Neal's history and its authorities is, so far as he has proceeded, heightened by the comparison.

In his advertisement to the first volume, he made a great mistake in ascribing the quarto edition of "The History of the Puritans" to the author himself; who died about twelve years before its appearance. It was given to the public by his worthy son, Mr. Nathaniel Neal, of the Million Bank, and is generally esteemed very correct.

Dr. Zachary Grey was of a Yorkshire family, originally from France; he was rector of Hougliton-Conquest in Bedfordshire, and vicar of St. Peter's and St. Giles's parishes in Cambridge, where be usually passed all his winter, and the rest of his time at Ampthill, the neighboring market-town to bis living. He died Nov. 25. 1766, at Ampthill, in the 79th year of his age, and was buried at Houghton-Conquest. He was of a most amiable, sweet, and communicative disposition, most friendly to his acquaintance, and never better pleased than when performing acts of friendship and benevo fence. His publications were numerous. Anecdotes of Bowyer, p. 354.

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